diff --git a/app/controllers/api/v1/users_controller.rb b/app/controllers/api/v1/users_controller.rb
index 0b6607ad..267a59ae 100644
--- a/app/controllers/api/v1/users_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/api/v1/users_controller.rb
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ def user_params
           :company_name,
           :education_level,
           :scholarship_info,
+          :role_id,
           interests: []
         )
       end
diff --git a/app/models/role.rb b/app/models/role.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e8677c20
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/models/role.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+class Role < ApplicationRecord
+  has_many :users
+
+  validates :title, presence: true, uniqueness: true
+end
diff --git a/app/models/user.rb b/app/models/user.rb
index 7ef49771..6249f795 100644
--- a/app/models/user.rb
+++ b/app/models/user.rb
@@ -194,12 +194,18 @@ def has_tag?(tag)
     tag_list.include? tag
   end
 
+  def role
+    return if role_id.blank?
+
+    Role.find_by id: role_id
+  end
+
   private
 
   def zip_code_exists
-   return if longitude && latitude
+    return if longitude && latitude
 
-   errors.add(:zip_code, 'not found')
+    errors.add(:zip_code, 'not found')
   end
 
   def upcase_state
diff --git a/app/policies/request_policy.rb b/app/policies/request_policy.rb
index 0fa6b3b0..8fbd6b74 100644
--- a/app/policies/request_policy.rb
+++ b/app/policies/request_policy.rb
@@ -13,5 +13,4 @@ def index?
   def show?
     user.mentor?
   end
-
 end
diff --git a/app/serializers/user_serializer.rb b/app/serializers/user_serializer.rb
index d6cdcf69..23ddbfff 100644
--- a/app/serializers/user_serializer.rb
+++ b/app/serializers/user_serializer.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,9 @@
 class UserSerializer < ActiveModel::Serializer
   attributes :id, :email, :zip, :first_name, :last_name,
              :slack_name, :mentor, :verified
+  attributes :role
+
+  def role
+    object.role&.title
+  end
 end
diff --git a/db/migrate/20180401034441_create_roles.rb b/db/migrate/20180401034441_create_roles.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..45748efc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/migrate/20180401034441_create_roles.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+class CreateRoles < ActiveRecord::Migration[5.0]
+  def change
+    create_table :roles do |t|
+      t.string :title
+
+      t.timestamps
+    end
+
+    add_reference :users, :role, index: true
+  end
+end
diff --git a/db/schema.rb b/db/schema.rb
index b5e8abd1..dde05ddc 100644
--- a/db/schema.rb
+++ b/db/schema.rb
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 #
 # It's strongly recommended that you check this file into your version control system.
 
-ActiveRecord::Schema.define(version: 20180204235116) do
+ActiveRecord::Schema.define(version: 20180401034441) do
 
   # These are extensions that must be enabled in order to support this database
   enable_extension "plpgsql"
@@ -152,6 +152,12 @@
     t.datetime "updated_at",              null: false
   end
 
+  create_table "roles", force: :cascade do |t|
+    t.string   "title"
+    t.datetime "created_at", null: false
+    t.datetime "updated_at", null: false
+  end
+
   create_table "scholarship_applications", force: :cascade do |t|
     t.text     "reason"
     t.boolean  "terms_accepted"
@@ -258,8 +264,10 @@
     t.string   "education_level"
     t.string   "interests"
     t.boolean  "scholarship_info",                default: false
+    t.integer  "role_id"
     t.index ["email"], name: "index_users_on_email", unique: true, using: :btree
     t.index ["reset_password_token"], name: "index_users_on_reset_password_token", unique: true, using: :btree
+    t.index ["role_id"], name: "index_users_on_role_id", using: :btree
   end
 
   create_table "votes", force: :cascade do |t|
diff --git a/db/seeds.rb b/db/seeds.rb
index fe867a86..59113101 100644
--- a/db/seeds.rb
+++ b/db/seeds.rb
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 User.destroy_all
 Service.destroy_all
 TeamMember.destroy_all
+AdminUser.destroy_all
 
 FactoryGirl.create(:user)
 FactoryGirl.create(:user)
@@ -32,3 +33,16 @@
 
 # Create Admin (development only)
 AdminUser.create!(email: 'admin@example.com', password: 'password', password_confirmation: 'password') if Rails.env.development?
+
+users = User.count
+requests = Request.count
+services = Service.count
+team_members = TeamMember.count
+admin_users = AdminUser.count
+
+puts 'Seeding complete.  Created:'
+p "#{users} users"
+p "#{requests} requests"
+p "#{services} services"
+p "#{team_members} team members"
+p "#{admin_users} admin users"
diff --git a/lib/tasks/roles.rake b/lib/tasks/roles.rake
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b8a7225e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/tasks/roles.rake
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+namespace :roles do
+  desc "Creates the initial set of roles"
+  task initial_set: :environment do
+    ['super_admin', 'admin', 'board_member'].each do |role|
+      begin
+        Role.find_or_create_by!(title: role)
+      rescue ActiveRecord::RecordInvalid => e
+        p e.record.errors
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/test/cassettes/user_test/role_gets_the_role_with_an_id_of_user_role_id_if_there_is_one.yml b/test/cassettes/user_test/role_gets_the_role_with_an_id_of_user_role_id_if_there_is_one.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..29f0cd57
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/cassettes/user_test/role_gets_the_role_with_an_id_of_user_role_id_if_there_is_one.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,113 @@
+---
+http_interactions:
+- request:
+    method: get
+    uri: http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/geocode/json?address=97201&language=en&sensor=false
+    body:
+      encoding: US-ASCII
+      string: ''
+    headers:
+      Accept-Encoding:
+      - gzip;q=1.0,deflate;q=0.6,identity;q=0.3
+      Accept:
+      - "*/*"
+      User-Agent:
+      - Ruby
+  response:
+    status:
+      code: 200
+      message: OK
+    headers:
+      Content-Type:
+      - application/json; charset=UTF-8
+      Date:
+      - Sat, 07 Apr 2018 19:35:47 GMT
+      Expires:
+      - Sun, 08 Apr 2018 19:35:47 GMT
+      Cache-Control:
+      - public, max-age=86400
+      Access-Control-Allow-Origin:
+      - "*"
+      Server:
+      - mafe
+      Content-Length:
+      - '495'
+      X-Xss-Protection:
+      - 1; mode=block
+      X-Frame-Options:
+      - SAMEORIGIN
+    body:
+      encoding: ASCII-8BIT
+      string: |
+        {
+           "results" : [
+              {
+                 "address_components" : [
+                    {
+                       "long_name" : "97201",
+                       "short_name" : "97201",
+                       "types" : [ "postal_code" ]
+                    },
+                    {
+                       "long_name" : "Southwest Portland",
+                       "short_name" : "Southwest Portland",
+                       "types" : [ "neighborhood", "political" ]
+                    },
+                    {
+                       "long_name" : "Portland",
+                       "short_name" : "Portland",
+                       "types" : [ "locality", "political" ]
+                    },
+                    {
+                       "long_name" : "Multnomah County",
+                       "short_name" : "Multnomah County",
+                       "types" : [ "administrative_area_level_2", "political" ]
+                    },
+                    {
+                       "long_name" : "Oregon",
+                       "short_name" : "OR",
+                       "types" : [ "administrative_area_level_1", "political" ]
+                    },
+                    {
+                       "long_name" : "United States",
+                       "short_name" : "US",
+                       "types" : [ "country", "political" ]
+                    }
+                 ],
+                 "formatted_address" : "Portland, OR 97201, USA",
+                 "geometry" : {
+                    "bounds" : {
+                       "northeast" : {
+                          "lat" : 45.519965,
+                          "lng" : -122.665103
+                       },
+                       "southwest" : {
+                          "lat" : 45.497957,
+                          "lng" : -122.7193571
+                       }
+                    },
+                    "location" : {
+                       "lat" : 45.505603,
+                       "lng" : -122.6882145
+                    },
+                    "location_type" : "APPROXIMATE",
+                    "viewport" : {
+                       "northeast" : {
+                          "lat" : 45.519965,
+                          "lng" : -122.665103
+                       },
+                       "southwest" : {
+                          "lat" : 45.497957,
+                          "lng" : -122.7193571
+                       }
+                    }
+                 },
+                 "place_id" : "ChIJi8MjqD8KlVQRsyr5ZtaBLMI",
+                 "types" : [ "postal_code" ]
+              }
+           ],
+           "status" : "OK"
+        }
+    http_version: 
+  recorded_at: Sat, 07 Apr 2018 19:35:47 GMT
+recorded_with: VCR 3.0.3
diff --git a/test/factories/roles.rb b/test/factories/roles.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..970404c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/factories/roles.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+FactoryGirl.define do
+  factory :role do
+    title "standard_user"
+  end
+end
diff --git a/test/models/role_test.rb b/test/models/role_test.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3fb99689
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/models/role_test.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+require 'test_helper'
+
+class RoleTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
+  test 'role requires a title' do
+    role = build(:role, title: '')
+
+    refute role.valid?
+  end
+
+  test 'title must be unique' do
+    standard_role = create :role, title: 'standard'
+    assert standard_role.valid?
+
+    duplicate_role = build :role, title: 'standard'
+    duplicate_role.save
+
+    refute duplicate_role.valid?
+    assert duplicate_role.errors.full_messages.include? "Title has already been taken"
+  end
+end
diff --git a/test/models/user_test.rb b/test/models/user_test.rb
index 4f6b6426..572e06c8 100644
--- a/test/models/user_test.rb
+++ b/test/models/user_test.rb
@@ -33,6 +33,16 @@ class UserTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
     assert_equal 'update_email@example.com', u.email
   end
 
+  test "role gets the Role with an id of user#role_id, if there is one" do
+    user = create :user
+    assert user.valid?
+    assert user.role.nil?
+
+    some_role = create :role
+    user.update! role_id: some_role.id
+    assert user.role == some_role
+  end
+
   test 'doesnt geocode until we save' do
     u = build(:user, latitude: nil, longitude: nil)
     assert u.valid?